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Source: United Nations (video statements)

“Without social justice, there will never be long-lasting peace and security,” said Annalena Baerbock, President of the UN General Assembly, as she previewed next week’s World Social Summit in Doha.

Baerbock recalled that “30 years ago, world leaders underlined in Copenhagen that dignity, opportunity and inclusion must be at the heart not only of development, but at the heart of the United Nations.”

Briefing the reporters in New York today (29 Oct) she noted that while the adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development had been “another milestone for social development and also the strong push for our SDGs,” progress remains uneven. “Still today, 30 years after Copenhagen and ten years after the Agenda 2030, over 800 million people still live in extreme poverty,” Baerbock said.

The President of the General Assembly stressed that the upcoming summit in Doha would aim to “underline the purpose of Copenhagen, to act and to bring forward solutions to reduce poverty once and for all.”

Qatar’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Sheikha Alya Ahmed bin Saif Al-Thani, said her country was “delighted to welcome the international community: more than 8,000 participants from member states, the United Nations, civil society, academia, the private sector, workers and employers and youth all coming together in Doha to recommit to social justice and put people at the center of sustainable development.”

She added that “Doha has emerged as a symbol of dialogue and global solidarity by hosting these milestone moments for the United Nations,” noting that “at the heart of the Summit will be the adoption, of course, of the Doha Political Declaration on Social Development.”

Touching on recent developments in the Middle East, Sheikha Alya said, “Doha has been intensively engaged in the reaching of a ceasefire in Gaza. Our leadership has been highly engaged in this matter, and we very much look forward to what comes next. For us what is important is to sustain this ceasefire.”

She emphasized that “if you don’t address education in Gaza immediately, you will not sustain the situation, because education gives the stability element in any situation.” The ambassador said the summit’s strength lies in bringing together different angles like peace and security, human rights and development.

Returning to the link between development and conflict, Baerbock said, “Social justice is very hard to deliver on in wartime, obviously, but the other side is also true. Without social justice, there won’t be lasting peace.” She added that deprivation and lack of opportunity often drive displacement and extremism, underscoring that “social justice is the base for a better and safer and more secure world.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RdX3EY1W5uM

Source: United Nations (video statements)

UN Resident Coordinator in Jamaica Dennis Zulu said that Hurricane Melissa has caused “unprecedented” devastation across its path in Jamaica, calling international community for support.

The UN Resident Coordinator in Jamaica, the Bahamas, Bermuda, The Cayman Islands, and the Turks and Caicos Islands, Dennis Zulu, spoke to reporters today via a video link today (29 Oct).

He said, “There’s been massive dislocation of services. We have people living in shelters across the country. And at the moment, what we are seeing in preliminary assessments is a country that’s been devastated to levels never seen before.”

Zulu said at the moment the United Nations is working in partnership with the national authorities and other partners, both bilateral and multilateral partners, to undertake the first assessment of the extent of the problem.

This aims to see how the UN can respond expeditiously to alleviating those who are in need.

At the moment, the Resident Coordinator said that the UN does not have the actual figures of how many people are impacted, “but we estimate to be a very large number,” Zulu added.

The Resident Coordinator reiterated, the devastation is calling upon “all partners in goodwill wishes across the world to support Jamaica.”

He added, “Jamaica has been making tremendous progress towards sorting out its economic situation. It was upward looking – sorted out its debt issues. But now with what has happened, it will take a lot of resources to be able to reconstruct and get it back on the upward trajectory.”

“So the country of Jamaica and the government, the people of Jamaica need the support of all of us really to get them back to some state of normality,” Zulu stressed.

Asked about challenges, the Resident Coordinator said, “we’ll see now is how does Jamaica finance this unprecedented devastation to the country,” adding that this will definitely need additional financial resources.

He also noted that Hurricane Melissa has negatively impacted tourism, adding that “we are obviously going to see reduced arrivals because the facilities, the resorts that were accommodating the tourists have been affected and they did affect Montego Bay, which is a principal destination here and the Ocho Rios”

There will be a reduction of incomes coming in from tourism, Zulu added.

Agriculture will be seriously affected as well, the Resident Coordinator said, “we’re bound to see a spike in agriculture products. And that obviously is not good for the economy.”

“It will have to be a lot of soul searching around how we can get this economy back on its feet and how we can finance the devastation that has been caused by Melissa going forward,” Zulu said.

He also noted that some of the roads have been cut off, making it difficult to reach certain area.

“This impacts us quite badly because we can’t undertake the needed assessments that we need to do. And secondly, we can’t get the resources that these people need in those areas that have that affected,” the Resident Coordinator explained.

He also mentioned the fear of landslide as the soil is still wet. “So at the moment, what we’re trying to do is trying to see how safe it is, to get to these areas. And we’ll have to assess this using drones, for instance, but also some satellite imaging, which some of the UN agencies are providing, as well as other development partners, to be able to ascertain the level of damage.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p8QaZo4sedw

Source: United Nations (video statements)

Noon Briefing by Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General.

Hurricane Melissa /Secretary-General
CEB
Sudan
Occupied Palestinian Territory
Ukraine
Adaptation Gap Report
Climate Change / Health
Brazil
Peacekeeping
Care and Support Day

HURRICANE MELISSA

From the Caribbean, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reports that Hurricane Melissa is now battering Cuba. The storm made landfall overnight near Santiago de Cuba as a Category 3 hurricane with winds of some 120 miles per hour. The hurricane is anticipated to cross the Bahamas later today and continue to bring winds, storm surge and heavy rainfall across the region, including Turks and Caicos and Haiti.

Yesterday, it struck Jamaica as the strongest storm to make landfall on the island and one of the strongest on record in the Atlantic. You’ll hear more shortly from our guest.

Turning to Cuba, authorities have reported the evacuation of some 735,00 people to 900 shelters and other locations. With the Anticipatory Action Plan activated ahead of landfall, UN agencies have been able to deliver early assistance made possible by a $4 million allocation from the Central Emergency Response Fund

The World Food Programme transported and pre-positioned nearly 700 metric tons of food, including rice, grains and oil, for more than 180,000 people for 12 days.

UNICEF delivered 1,300 hygiene kits for 6,500 people and deployed portable water-treatment plants serving 16,000 people per day. Public messaging campaigns are underway and learning materials for more than 20,000 children are being distributed.

The Food and Agriculture Organization moved agricultural inputs and seeds to the east of the country to help farmers protect irrigation systems.

The Pan American Health Organization airlifted 2.7 tons of medical supplies, including emergency health kits, generators and water tanks, from Panama.

The UN Development Programme has sent tarpaulins, generators and mattresses, while the UN Population Fund is distributing sexual and reproductive health and dignity kits.

Two OCHA staff are now in Havana to support the Resident Coordinator and UN agencies. A UN Plan of Action to support 170,000 is being finalized.

And turning to Haiti, the Haitian government has declared a public holiday today to allow emergency teams to focus on operations.

Authorities warn of possible flooding and landslides in several departments. Early information from our partners shows damage in the West department. In the commune of Petit-Goâve, authorities report 20 deaths, including 10 children.

OCHA is working closely with authorities and humanitarian partners to share information, plan collectively and monitor local conditions, despite limited logistical capacity in several areas. Our partners have pre-positioned key supplies, including hundreds of hygiene kits in the departments of Artibonite and North-West departments, as well as in the town of Cap-Haïtien. The International Organization for Migration is preparing to help 2,000 households in Gonaïves with shelter materials and other essential items, while the World Food Programme plans to distribute cash assistance for about 4,000 households in the same area. The Haitian Red Cross and UNESCO are supporting community outreach and public information campaigns. OCHA Haiti continues to coordinate response efforts, ensuring that the Government and our partners work together efficiently to reach people in need and avoid duplication.

CEB

On Thursday and Friday, the Secretary-General will chair the biannual session of the UN System Chief Executives Board for Coordination (CEB), bringing together the heads of the UN system organizations. The CEB session will be held at the Greentree Estate in Manhasset, NY.

CEB Members will reflect on current world affairs as they affect and are related to the UN system, and they will engage in deliberations on the “Impact of the present disruptions in the global economy on the Sustainable Development Goals” and “State of Play of the UN80 Initiative”.

Full highlights:
https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/noon-briefing-highlight

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K1C5Ew5srUk

Source: United Nations (video statements)

Joint stakeout by the Group of Friends for Peace on the Ukraine Crisis, following a meeting of the group. Fu Cong, Permanent Representative of China to the United Nations, Sérgio França Danese, Permanent Representative of the Federative Republic of Brazil to the United Nations, and other representatives from Global South countries.

The Group of Friends for Peace on the Ukraine Crisis reaffirmed, “only a negotiated political solution, including through inclusive diplomacy and political means based on the UN Charter, can bring this conflict to an end.”

The Group of Friends for Peace on the Ukraine Crisis held a joint press encounter today (29 Oct) after a meeting. Ambassador Sérgio França Danese of Brazil and Ambassador Fu Cong of China spoke on behalf of the Group. Other representatives from Global South countries were present at the press encounter.

Brazilian Ambassador Sérgio França Danese said, “Our group has consistently called for an early peaceful settlement of the conflict, remained dedicated to fostering dialog and engagement, and actively engaged with relevant parties with a view to promoting common ground across the international community.”

“All efforts have been guided by our strong commitment to the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, including respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of any States and the peaceful settlement of disputes,” Ambassador Danese reiterated.

He reiterated that the Group remains committed to “promoting the spirit of solidarity and partnership between nations that’s emphasized by the Bandung Principles inter alia.”

Ambassador Danese also said, “Deeply troubled by the prolonged hostilities and the immense negative impacts, this Group was among the first to call for an immediate and complete ceasefire – a call we firmly reiterate today.”

He underscored the need to “observe principles for de-escalation and the importance of non-expansion of the battlefield, and non- intensification of fighting.”

The Brazilian Ambassador said, “We believe that avoiding actions that could further fuel the conflict, including the proliferation of weapons and other means of war into the parties of the conflict, would help pave the way toward a ceasefire and political settlement.”

For his part, Chinese Ambassador Fu Cong said, “The shared goal must be to find a comprehensive, just and lasting solution – one that addresses mutual concerns of the parties of the conflict and leads to a peace agreement, negotiated directly by and acceptable to them.”

He said that the Group “stands ready to support the next steps agreed by the relevant parties to the conflict, including the possible discussion on the roadmap.”

“We believe that the UN has a role to play in fostering the diplomatic efforts, and in the implementation of any peace agreements,” Ambassador Fu said.

The Group also called for “increased humanitarian assistance and the strengthening of the protection of civilians, in particular women, children and the humanitarian personnel.”

“All parties are obligated to strictly, comply with international humanitarian law. Civilian infrastructure and objects, including nuclear facilities and other installations containing dangerous forces, must never be the target of military operations,” Ambassador Fu said.

The Group also stressed that all parties are “bound by the principles of distinction, proportionality and precaution in the conduct of hostilities”

The Group emphasized the “obligation of the humane treatment of prisoners, and encourage and support initiatives to facilitate the safe exchange of prisoners of war as a confidence building measure that alleviates human suffering,” Ambassador Fu concluded.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7nlDx8IHPmE

Source: United Nations (video statements)

The United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) announced the appointment of Professor Brian Cox as United Nations Champion for Space.

As the Champion for Space, Prof. Cox will assist UNOOSA in promoting space as a tool for achieving the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. He told UN News that he would use his new role to explain why space is ‘vitally important and wonderful to as wide an audience as possible.’

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/82kCR_6DbwU

Source: United Nations (video statements)

Thirty years after Copenhagen, the world comes together again — this time in Doha — for the Second World Summit for Social Development. At a time of rising inequality and global uncertainty, leaders, innovators, and communities unite under the Doha Political Declaration to accelerate social progress and put people back at the center of development.
Join us in Doha, Qatar, from 4–6 November, as the world recommits to dignity, opportunity, and justice for all.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OXr25vn6Z0M